Grant: CIHR Journalism Award

Whether tourist or migrant, newcomer or prodigal son, each person crossing borders carries with them their own set of genes and exposures, pathologies and perspectives, any one of which could have significant implications for the delivery of health care. Canada's identity as a welcoming country puts us at the front lines of global health concerns, particularly when it comes to migration. What are the consequences of not being prepared, and why should we care? The global health movement says that practitioners need more and better training in reaching across language and culture barriers to treat the foreign-born patient or the globe-trotting citizen, and they need to know the diseases prevalent on the other side of the world so they recognize the symptoms when they turn up in the emergency room. The cost of not meeting the challenge, advocates say, is millions wasted in mis-diagnosis or missed opportunities for preventive care, as well as the human and social cost of unequal health care. Canadian researchers at the forefront of the global health movement are creating new, world-leading guidelines for physicians. They're developing programs for medical interpreters, building training to boost practitioners' cultural competencies, and sharing their knowledge with global health specialists around the world. This multi-part series will: define global health, migration and the links between the two; explain why health care delivery for migrants is challenging and why it matters to get it right; introduce readers to practitioners and patients affected by the challenges of delivering health care to newcomers and world travelers; and it will explain Canadian and global research contributing to the development of the field, highlighting best practices from around the world.